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A: PondClear™ and MuckAway™ have their similarities and differences. They both are chemical free, safe to use in recreational ponds, and contain aerobic bacteria that naturally work to break down dead organic material in your pond or lake. They differ however, by targeting different types of debris.

Pond Logic® PondClear™ Beneficial Bacteria focuses on debris that’s suspended in the water column. The floating material may cause your pond or lake to appear cloudy. The beneficial microorganisms in PondClear™ consume and digest that suspended organic matter, leaving you with clean, clear, odor-free water and a healthy ecosystem. It’s even safe to use in ponds and lakes that water horses, livestock, pets, birds and other wildlife, as well as those that contain game fish.

Pond Logic® MuckAway™ Pond Muck Reducer focuses on sunken organic debris – also known as pond muck – that has accumulated along the beach, shoreline or pond bottom. The MuckAway™ pellets sick below the water’s surface and dissolve, releasing hungry beneficial bacteria that instantly begin consuming and digesting the settled debris. The all-natural muck buster is perfect for spot-treating trouble areas or managing material in canals or lake-front properties. As with PondClear™, MuckAway™ is safe to use around horses, livestock, pets, birds, wildlife and in lakes that contain game fish.

When used as directed, both PondClear™ and MuckAway™ will begin working right away and, in most cases, you can expect to see real results within one month of use. Of course, each pond is different; the longer the muck has had to accumulate, the longer it will take to be devoured by the bacteria.

To give the microorganisms a performance boost, add an aeration system to the pond and increase the water’s circulation. Aerobic bacteria require oxygen to live, thrive and reproduce. An aeration system, such as the Airmax® Deep Water Aeration System or the Kasco Surface Aerator, will diffuse O2 into the water while increasing the water’s movement and exposure to surface oxygen.

So before you add PondClear™ or MuckAway™ to your pond or lake, make sure you choose the product that targets your particular situation.

The answer to this question depends on the type of pond you have. If you are talking about a large, earth-bottom pond or lake you will want to treat with Pond Logic Algae Defense. If you you have a small water garden or decorative pond with koi or goldfish you will want to use Pond Logic InstaFix. PondClear and MuckAway are beneficial bacteria that actually digest any dead organic debris to keep your pond clean and remove excess nutrients that cause dirty water and plant growth. They do not “kill” anything. Algae Defense for ponds and lakes or InstaFix for water gardens & fish ponds are a chemical product.

I want to reduce or eliminate bees from our 200 gal cattle water trough- pond.
The bees get on the rim edge around the trough at the water line .
Putting a window screen over the whole pond will work,but I dont want that.
I was thinking of adding salt to the water. What ratio of salt to water
will keep them from drinking the water.

We can’t offer too much insight on salting your water to discourage bees but I we are curious about a couple things.

1) Your cattle won’t mind the salted water?
2) Cattails will not exactly enjoy water with high salinity but it really depends on how much you add. It would be a rather inefficient undergoing to add salt to a 200 gallon trough to discourage cattail growth. Pulling or spraying actively growing cattails with glyphosate might be a better solution: http://www.thepondguy.com/product/avocet-plx-aquatic-herbicide

Within a week after applying PondClear I had bubbles appear on the surface in clumps. First thought they were eggs or larvae but they really appear more like the bubbles you’d see on the surface of a fermentation tank. Is this possibly a reaction from the breakdown of organic matter? The water is definitely clearing up, but the bubble clumps are annoying so I’m hoping it’s a temporary situation.

Are the bubbles clear? We’ve had algae start as surface bubbles but have a green tint. I’m not impressed with the MuckAway, it really hasn’t done anything in our pond. We’ve gone to a lot of expense this year, adding aeration and the whole package of PondClear, MuckAway, pond dye , Algae Defense and still have a lot of algae problems and muck. I was hoping this would save us time and money, but so far we’ve spent more of both.

Keep in mind C, that the muck and debris took time to accumulate and it will take some time for them to break down. The goal is to break down existing organic debris and prevent new debris from runoff and plant decay. That means that if you are treating algae and pond weeds, you will want to rake the dead material out of the pond afterwards so it doesn’t get left in there to decompose. These products will help you get your pond back into shape but it takes time, they are not a silver bullet.

Is PondClear the only thing you’ve added to the pond? If it has rained lately some organic material may have mixed up into the water column. It is possible that you have a high concentration of dissolved organic material (or possibly a foreign substance brought in by runoff) that is allowing your water to form bubbles as air is being trapped from decomposition or water churning. More common in water gardens than large lakes though. Regardless, it should be a temporary issue and resolve itself over time.

I’ve since come to learn that this is referred to as DOC (decomposed organic carbon) and is no doubt due to things mentioned… early spring pond cleaning that left some decaying debris, and runoff since this is a watershed-fed pond. It also causes a thin film over the bubbles that keep them from bursting. I think you’re right in that it’s temporary and I’m hoping a good rain will mix things up. The good thing is the the water is becoming increasing clear while the bubblesare slowly dissipating.

Are you able to trace the source of your high alkali? If it is something foreign in your pond you can do a few partial water changes to get back on track. If just happens to be the makeup of the water in your area you can use pH lift or pH drop to adjust the water accordingly: http://www.thepondguy.com/product/pond-logic-ph-stabilizers